Everything about The Balsam Poplar totally explained
The
balsam poplars Populus sect.
Tacamahaca are a group of about 10 species of
poplars, indigenous to
North America and eastern
Asia, distinguished by the
balsam scent of their
buds, the whitish undersides of their
leaves, and the leaf petiole being round (not flattened) in cross-section. They are large
deciduous trees, 30–60 m tall, with leaves with a rounded base, pointed apex, and a whitish
waxy coating on the underside of the leaf; this latter distinguishes them from most other poplars. The name is derived from the pleasant balsam smell of the opening buds and leaves in spring, produced by a sticky gum on the buds which also helps protect the buds from
insect damage. The balsam poplars are light-demanding trees that requires considerable moisture but are tolerant of very cold conditions, occurring further north than other poplars except for the
aspens.
The
Ontario Balsam Poplar Populus balsamifera (syn.
P. tacamahaca,
P. candicans) is a native of North America, where it grows on alluvial bottomlands in the northeastern United States and Canada. It grows to a height of 30 metres and has yellow-grey bark, thick and furrowed, and coloured blackish at the base of the trunk. The twigs are yellow-brown to brown, the buds covered with a layer of balsam resin. The flowers and fruit are very much like those of the
White Poplar.
The
Western Balsam Poplar or
Black Cottonwood Populus trichocarpa is native to western North America, from
Alaska south to northern
California. It is the largest species of poplar, recorded to 65 m tall. It is also a very important species in
plant biology. In the mountains of interior western North America, it's replaced by the
Willow-leaved Poplar or
Narrowleaf Cottonwood Populus angustifolia. It was announced on the
15 September 2006 in the journal
Science that
Populus trichocarpa became the first tree species to have its entire
genome sequenced.
Simon's Poplar (
Populus simonii), a native of northwestern
China, is frequently planted as a shade tree in northern European cities. It is an attractive ornamental tree with whitish bark, and nearly rhombic, 6–10 cm long leaves which appear on the tree in early spring.
Maximowicz' Poplar P. maximowiczii is similar, occurring in northeastern China,
Japan,
Korea and eastern
Siberia; it has broader leaves. Another similar species from
Mongolia is the
Laurel-leaf Poplar P. laurifolia, which differs from the other two in narrower leaves shaped like a
bay laurel leaf.
Balsam poplars are cultivated mainly in parks for their ornamental, light-coloured bark and pleasant scent in spring. Western Balsam Poplar is also planted as a
timber crop. The
wood is soft, very light in weight but strong for its weight, coarse and fibrous, not polishing or planing easily, and is used for pallet boxes and other similar rough uses.
Several
hybrids between balsam poplars (particularly Western Balsam Poplar) and the
cottonwoods have also been produced for wood production. These hybrids are selected for exceptionally fast growth and disease resistance.
Poplars are also of potential use for
biofuels because of their fast growth. Researchers are aiming to use
genetic techniques to make poplars grow fatter and with a smaller canopy, so that more trees can be grown more quickly in a small space, and to make the plants contain a higher proportion of
cellulose to
lignin. The increased cellulose content would make them easier to convert into sugars and ethanol for biofuel.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Balsam Poplar'.
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